Why We Fight
by Donna Vito Frutti
Summary: It's the Battle At Hogwarts. Slytherins are being evacuated. None of them joins the battle. Or do they?


**Why We Fight**

\- Donna Vito Frutti

**_Little League Contest, Season 1, Round 1_**

_**Position : **Chaser-3_  
_**Team : **Slytherin_  
_**Prompts: **_

_(word) derivative_  
_(song) You're not alone by Michael Jackson_  
_(song) You've got a friend in me by Randy Newman_

* * *

**A/N** – This was very hastily done. Pardon me for any typos, inconsistency, in-coherency, boredom, or lack of flow. Unless you're a judge. But not even then.

* * *

**WHY WE FIGHT**

Aberforth was just downing the last of his drink, when the portrait opened, and out trickled a countless number of Hogwarts students. Flabbergasted, he stared at them. Kids. In his pub. He quickly rose. "Hey! What the hell are you doing here?" He caught a girl, who was trying to reach for a jar of cookies by her arm and questioned her. "Who the hell are you?"

The girl looked at him, as though he were a little mad (Damn, kids) and replied, "I'm a S-," she stopped and then started again. "We're underage, so Professor McGonagall has decided that we're to be taken home safe."

Aberforth let go of her and eyed the other students. "You're not all underage. And I'm guessing many of you are Slytherins, eh?" Aberforth peered down at them. Hundreds of eyes stared back at him, but nobody answered. "Such loyalty," he smirked, amused and then chuckled. "Fine. But if it were up to me, I'd have kept the Slytherins here to threaten the Death Eaters with."

"Well, it's a good thing it's not up to you, isn't it?" A voice said, as the man it belonged to came out of the tunnel. It was Slughorn, in his pajamas and looking very harassed. The mass of students made way, so that the two adults could talk.

"Ah, Professor Slughorn! How good of you to come along," Aberforth said. He nodded towards the children. "You're not fleeing the scene with them, now, are you?"

Slughorn, for the first time in a very long while, glared at Aberforth. "No. Of course not," he replied, coldly. "We're evacuating them, Aberforth. You must've heard the Dark Lord. There's to be a battle."

Aberforth grunted and drained his glass and banged it down on the table. "Not we. You. You're going to do the evacuating. If there's a fight then I'm going to be right in the middle of it." Brandishing his wand, he made as if to climb through the portrait.

"Wait," Slughorn said, stopping him. Aberforth turned around. "I need help with the children."

Aberforth looked at him, then at the students in his pub, and then back at Slughorn. He pointed towards his overcrowded pub. "Take it, then. You're going to need a lot of it. But I'm not stayin' to help a bunch of kids." Aberforth gave a roguish smile and then fled down the tunnel.

Slughorn cursed. "Mad git," he muttered under his breath. Then, sighing, he walked over to a chair, sat down heavily and took his wand out. He muttered a spell, producing a corporeal patronus.

"Hogwarts is in danger," he muttered to it. "The Dark Lord is upon us. Find reinforcements. Meet in the pub. Alert everyone. "

The silver animal ran off, when he was finished. There was an eery calmness in the room. Some of the kids were quietly whispering among themselves, some were helping themselves to the food, and some others were just silent. A few of them, however, seemed to be in some serious discussion. He recognised some of them as they were from his House. No one seemed worried enough, and no one seemed to notice that Horace Slughorn was dreading the impending battle. It was not cowardice. Not the usual kind, anyway.

"Professor, where did it go?" A voice asked, breaking his chain of thoughts.

It was Blaise Zabini. "The patronus, Sir." Slughorn looked up at him, unsure whether to trust him. "Never you mind. You will see soon enough if you choose to stay." He rose to face all of them. They stared back at him, immediately falling silent.

"Alright, then. How many of you can apparate?" He looked around.A few hands went up.

"Right. Nott. Zabini. Greengrass. You, you and the rest of you. I want each of you to take two younger students, and apparate them to somewhere safe. And then come right back for the remaining."

"Where?" Daphne Greengrass spoke up. She was one of those who could apparate. A seventh year.

Slughorn told them the location.

He organised them into groups and soon the evacuation was underway.

"Wherever you can find other wizards who can fight, tell them to meet here," he told them, just as the first of them left.

* * *

Horace looked at those remaining. The youngest of them apparated along with the older students, or were waiting to. He was now left with the middle ones. Fourth years and Fifth years, mostly. He recognised some of them from his house, but most were merely strange faces.

Surprisingly, none of them were panicking. Not yet. It would seem, they felt safer, now that they were out of range of the castle. Or, perhaps it was because they were already used to the threat of war. Children could be very perceptive. Teaching had always been a rewarding experience for him, as he got to interact with clever young minds. He tried not to think of a particularly clever mind.

Horace found some empty glasses, goblets and bottles and arranged them in neat rows on the table in front of him.

"Do you know how to use portkeys?" he asked them.

There was a quiet murmur of voices, and Horace was glad that some of them did.

"All you need to do is hold on to the object and it will transport you to your destination."

He showed them how. "I am going to time them, now."

A fourth year girl, who was apparently pretty smart, was listening carefully to him, and helped him demonstrate the working of portkeys. He wished, hoped, that he would get to teach smart children like her next year. If the school survives.

* * *

They were in The Leaky Cauldron. It was here that Slughorn had asked them to apparate. With the Death Eaters concentrated in and around Hogsmeade, it was safer to meet there and easier to get them to safety, even home. Tom would provide them with floo.

Blaise watched the students leave, and then caught Daphne's arm. She had been about to leave as well. She looked back at him.

"What?"

"We shouldn't be running." They had dropped off all their charges, and were free to leave. "We're needed at Hogwarts."

"You want us to fight?" she asked, incredulously.

"We shouldn't be running," he repeated. "Not when this is our chance to prove the worth of our house. "

"And what about our lives, Blaise? Aren't they worth anything?"

Astoria had joined them, too. "He's right. We should stay and fight." She looked at Blaise, who nodded.

"Hogwarts is our home," she said, "I'm not gonna stand by and watch while it's being destroyed. Even if it's by You-know-who." Daphne sighed, unsure, and turned to Theodore, who was standing quietly, watching the exchange. Blaise followed her gaze and spotted Theodore.

"Come on, Theo," he said, clapping him on the back. "How many times have you told us you wished you could change your allegiance? This is the chance to redeem our families, mate."

"I don't know," Theodore said. "I don't know. Is it a good idea to aide the enemies of the Dark Lord?"

Daphne smiled comfortingly, and placed an arm on his shoulder. "Let's just get back to Slughorn. We'll decide when we get there."

* * *

_Something whispers in my ear and says_  
_That you are not alone_  
_I am here with you_  
_Though you're far away_  
_I am here to stay_

\- Michael Jackson -

* * *

An hour went by, or perhaps it was hours. It was difficult to understand, when time seemed to slow down. Soon, all the children were gone. And so were the older students who were evacuating their juniors. A handful of them, however, returned.

"Professor?" A fifth year, approached him. Greengrass. She was one of those who could apparate. She asked gently, "Are you leaving?"

What he wouldn't give to go home, go anywhere, away from this? But he knew he couldn't. He wouldn't.

"No, Astoria. Though, that's a very tempting idea," he admitted, honest. "I've to fight for my friends, for the school...and I have to fight _him_."

"We understand, professor," a second Slytherin said. Theodore Nott. Another stepped beside him. Blaise Zabini. And Daphne Greengrass. Perhaps, there were more, he couldn't see. The candles were burning low, and the room was only half lit.

He had a task to complete, before he forced himself to take part in the battle. He had to wait for the others. If they did come.

"Why did you come back?" Slughorn asked, frowning slightly. He hadn't explicitly asked them to not join him, but he had hoped they wouldn't. He couldn't endanger their lives.

Daphne looked at the others, before replying. "We came to see if you needed any more help, professor."

Slughorn laughed, nervously. But it wasn't the battle that unnerved him. "I think that'd be all. You're free to leave-"

"We're not leaving," Blaise answered. "We can't leave. We're fighting with you."

"Yeah," Astoria replied.

"You're too young, though" Daphne said to her sister. "You'll have to stay back here and inform others-"

"I can hold my own in a fight. Thanks," Astoria replied, coolly.

"I'm fighting, too," Theodore Nott replied. His friends did not seem that surprised. "This is my chance to redeem my family. I'm staying and fighting on the side of Hogwarts."

"A brave choice, Nott," Slughorn said. "But what about your father?"

"My father will have to do what he must," Theodore replied, grimly. He turned to Blaise, Daphne and Astoria. "And I'm not leaving you behind."

"Very well, then. So be it," Slughorn said. He was secretly glad. "Reinforcements will be here, soon," he told them. "We'll join them back to the castle."

"What do we do, now?" Daphne asked.

"Now, we wait."

* * *

_You've got a friend in me_  
_You got troubles and I got 'em too_  
_There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you_  
_We stick together, we can see it through_  
_'Cause you've got a friend in me_  
_You've got a friend in me_

\- Randy Newman -

* * *

It took a while longer, but then, soon, the many residents of Hogsmeade, friends and families of those in castle, as well as members of the Order, and their derivative, began trickling in.

"I think it's almost time," Blaise said. "They're here."

Slughorn rose to greet the newcomers and inform them about the recent developments.

They took a moment to collect themselves. Daphne, Theodore, Blaise and Astoria were in a circle, holding hands, just like they did when they were children.

"I'm glad we're together in this," Blaise said.

"I really hope we survive." Astoria said.

"Yeah, Me too," Blaise said.

"Me too." Astoria looked determined.

Theodore just nodded. Daphne looked at him, contemplating something.

"If we die," Daphne said, on an impulse, "I want you to know that I've always liked you, Theodore."

Theodore looked taken aback for a moment, but then replied, smiling slightly, "If we don't die, how about a date afterward?"

"Er, guys," Astoria said, "This is so not the time."

"Aww, give them a moment," Blaise said, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

They took a moment. They all took a moment. Meanwhile, Slughorn was finished organising the reinforcements. "Alright, then," he said, after a while.

This was it.

"So. What now?" Theodore said, although, he already knew the answer.

"Now, we fight," Astoria replied, brandishing her wand. She grinned at Daphne. Slughorn was leading the way back into the tunnel. The others were following him.

"Maybe you should wait, here, Astoria," Daphne told her, eyeing her wand, and trying for the last time. "I'll come back and get you later. You're-"

"No, I'm not."

Astoria ran out, into the tunnel, before anyone could stop her. Daphne looked annoyed. Blaise laughed. "I'm sure she'll be fine," Theodore said and followed Astoria.

"Let's go, Daph," Blaise said, and turned to go himself. Daphne only cursed, before running after them.

The battle was on.

* * *

**A/N \- I know it wasn't exactly satisfactory, but I was really busy with work and had only 3 hours to turn this in. Like i said earlier, pardon me.**

**I have always been a firm believer in the fact that Slytherins aren't that bad. Not even Salazar. Which you'll know when you read "Remembering".**

**They are a mostly a bunch of misunderstood people, and will always have my sympathy. Unless they're Voldemort. Or Bellatrix. Or Grayback (Greyback?).**

**Thank you yellow 14, for your kind review. And nice to see you again. :) And I meant 3 hours, not 3 years. I wish I could edit that.**

**Thank you erbkaiser. Yes, just coz they're Slytherins, doesn't mean they are without honour.**

**And thank you, Guest. Whoever you are. I really appreciate your humour.**


End file.
